Over the past year, we partnered with MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning to examine how open-source, interactive tools might change how stakeholders can meaningfully engage in the public transportation planning process.

Alongside Ride New Orleans and Walk San Francisco, Advance Atlanta assessed the usefulness of the CoAXs tool. CoAXs (Collaborative Accessibility-Based Stakeholder Engagement for Public Transportation Planning) is an interactive planning tool developed by MIT with the goal of enhancing participation and creative problem solving for planning public transportation systems.

Within the tool, users can explore proposed and existing transit routes as well as examine the impact of associated variables such as changing bus speeds or frequencies.

Eight proposed Metro Atlanta transportation projects were selected and tested on the platform, giving participants the ability to toggle the projects across 32 distinct potential scenarios.

To learn more about CoAXs across these resources:

• Visit the CoAXs website
• Read MIT’s research report
• Explore the Atlanta version of the interactive tool

Wondering what we’ve been up to? You may have noticed that Advance Atlanta has a new look. But it’s more than just our look that has changed. Over the past year, we’ve been working to update our website, logo, and board structure.

So why the changes? The first one started with an opportunity to get some extra help. In 2016, we won grant funding from the American Public Transit Association for an update of our website. While our old website worked well as our organization was just beginning, we wanted a website with enhanced features that could broaden outreach capabilities.

You’ve probably also noticed that we have a new logo and color scheme. Along with the website update, we are rolling out a logo with visuals to evoke the image of transit. This new logo will enhance our stakeholders understanding of what Advance Atlanta stands for.

Finally, we have reorganized our board around five action-oriented task forces, each with a board chair position. These task forces will recruit more Advance Atlanta members to support the board in our major implementation areas. We felt it was important to include these new task forces as we create more opportunities for engagement with the creation of our new website. We are an all-volunteer board, and to increase our reach and effectiveness as an organization we need to recruit teams to assist us in each of these areas:

The Communications Task Force communicates the policies, work, programs, and objectives of Advance Atlanta to our stakeholders, members, sponsors, and partners through our social media, website, and newsletter and manages earned media relationships.

The Engagement Task Force connects Advance Atlanta to stakeholders and grassroots networks in order to create a community that can help us achieve our policy goals. This committee helps coordinate actions of geographic liaisons and gather local event information to share with members.

The Policy Task Force develops all annual policy statements, lobbying strategies, and leads all of Advance Atlanta’s lobbying efforts at the city, county, and state level.

The Events and Programs Task Force plans and executes programs and events that move forward the policies, work, and objectives of Advance Atlanta with our stakeholders, members, sponsors, and partners. This includes regional events, workshops, and other outreach initiatives.

The Fundraising Task Force secures funds necessary to operate Advance Atlanta at a level that enables us to achieve our goals. This includes setting up membership structures, developing and managing relationships, securing sponsorship for events, and managing grant applications.

Here’s how you can help to advance transit in Atlanta:

Sign up for our newsletter, and if you’ve already signed up, make sure we have your full address. We’ve changed our newsletter sign up to ask for you full home address so that we can send you information specifically targeted for you about things like local elections and public meetings. Click here to sign up or update your information.

If you have more time to offer, please join a task force that fits your skills or interests. Advance Atlanta is an all-volunteer organization, and we need more help to accomplish all that we’d like to do. Email us to indicate your interest at [email protected].

Stay tuned for opportunities to get involved. Along with the new website, we’re working on an updated calendar of events that will be easier to use and search.

We hope you like our new look and that you’ll consider joining one of our task forces and coming to an upcoming event.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/advanceatlanta-wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/08192940/logo.png00pklibanoffhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/advanceatlanta-wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/08192940/logo.pngpklibanoff2017-09-24 17:22:182017-09-24 17:22:18Welcome to the New Advance Atlanta

Now is the time to mobilize — and the stakes are high. On Thursday, February 18 at 3 p.m., Senator Brandon Beach’s (R-Alpharetta) MARTA expansion bill (SB 330) will be HEARD and VOTED ON by the Transportation committee. This hearing is the critical next step for the effort to expand MARTA rail. If the bill does not make it past committee, there is little hope anything will happen until next year’s legislative session. Now more than ever, we need to pack the committee room with supporters as clear demonstration to the committee of the citizen-wide support this effort has.

As many of you already know, the bill is focused on extending MARTA rail in North Fulton along the 400 corridor and in DeKalb along the Clifton and I-20 east corridor. The legislation is designed to allow voters to decide whether to pay an additional half-penny sales tax in DeKalb and Fulton counties for MARTA in a referendum. Extending MARTA rail will build key connections in Metro Atlanta’s transit network and drastically expand the ways in which residents can connect to jobs and move about our region safely and efficiently. Rail transit increases the upward economic mobility of residents, allows riders to be productive while traveling, and is a win for our environment. A recent report from HNTB found that MARTA growth could pump $5.2 billion into economy and add 45,000 jobs.

Furthermore, recent polling shows that voters in both Fulton and DeKalb would overwhelmingly support transit expansion. Let’s tell our state Senators that citizens deserve the right to determine their own local destiny and vote on MARTA expansion!

http://s3.amazonaws.com/advanceatlanta-wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/08192940/logo.png00pklibanoffhttp://s3.amazonaws.com/advanceatlanta-wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/08192940/logo.pngpklibanoff2016-02-18 04:11:312017-05-11 23:10:00Now is the time to mobilize

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) has released the draft of the Atlanta Region’s Plan for public review and comment. If you have opinions about the future of transit in the Atlanta Region, we encourage you to take a look at the planned transit projects.

The plan defines a 199 mile rail and bus rapid transit network. Approximately 50 miles exist today, with another 93 miles planned for implementation by 2040. The plan includes $12 billion in potential transit expansion projects. The transit expansion projects include Connect 400, Clifton Corridor, I-20 East, Clayton County High Capacity Transit, Connect Cobb, I-285 High Capacity Transit, and Beltline/Streetcar projects.

Did you know that the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) has a Regional Transit Committee (RTC) that meets every other month to talk about regional transit planning, funding and governance?

The RTC met last week to discuss grants, marketing, the regional transit website, and fare collection. Currently, the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) are working together to administer the GO! Transit Capital Program, offering $75 million in General Obligation bond funds for transit capital projects. Applications are due January 31st, 2016 with awards in the summer. SRTA has long had funding available for road projects through the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank, so we are happy to see a program for transit. The RTC approved a resolution for the ARC to apply for funding for regional bus stop signage on behalf of the regional agencies. If awarded, the grant would fund updates to signage for MARTA, Cobb Community Transit, Gwinnett County Transit, and GRTA. We look forward to seeing improvements to transit in Metro Atlanta as a result of this program.

ARC is also working on marketing regional transit, focusing on those who live within walking and driving distance of regional transit services. The campaign will market to Millennials in particular as a target audience. The goal will be to get potential transit riders thinking about the possibility of using transit and then to direct them to the regional transit website AtlTransit.org. The AtlTransit website is a joint effort of metro Atlanta’s transit agencies to provide a unified resource for transit customers. The site launched late last year and has seen recent updates, including real time arrival/schedule information, simplified fare and transfer information, and improved trip planner information. It will also be linked with the unified bus stop signage so that riders can use their phones to get information on the next bus arrivals. Improvements are still in the works, and we look forward to seeing how the site can make it easier to plan trips between multiple transit agencies.

The Transportation Funding Act, House Bill 170, was at the forefront of the discussion at the Georgia Transportation Summit last week. The mood among many transportation officials was celebratory, praising the state legislature for their leadership in passing the bill to add nearly $1 billion in new transportation funding. The event brought together over 700 attendees to hear what transportation initiatives are in the works for the state and Metro Atlanta. Presentations by GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry and GDOT Chief Engineer Meg highlighted how significant the new legislation will be to the state’s transportation network.

But will House Bill 170 be the magic bullet for transportation in Georgia? While it is certainly a huge step forward in improving our transportation network, some panelists suggested that we cannot rest on our laurels. There is still work to do, particularly in the realm of transit. David Allman, Chairman of Regent Partners, said the critical next step to follow up on the success of House Bill 170 will be MARTA expansion. Panelist Craig Lesser of the Pendleton Group spoke from an economic development perspective, saying access to MARTA is critical for business in Metro Atlanta. The next panel, featuring MARTA Board Chairman Robbie Ashe, discussed expanding freight and commuter mobility. Ashe highlighted the fact that companies such as State Farm, Mercedes Benz, and Kaiser Permanente have chosen to locate near MARTA and described expansion plans, including the Connect 400, I-20 East, and Clifton Corridor projects.

Among the breakout sessions was a presentation by Keith Parker, General Manager and CEO of MARTA, about MARTA’s success in focusing on an improved customer experience. Now that MARTA has gone through rebuilding efforts and has turned a budget shortfall into a surplus, he discussed plans for expansion potentially funded by an additional half penny sales tax so that the Atlanta region can attract federal matching funds for transit expansion.

On Saturday, September 26th, Members of Advance Atlanta attended TransportationCamp South at Georgia Tech. TransportationCamp is an “unconference” where sessions are proposed and led by attendees. Advance Atlanta hosted the “Let’s Advance Atlanta” session, focused on sharing ideas and collecting feedback from fellow transit advocates.

The day started off with an inspiring presentation by MARTA CEO Keith Parker. Sessions at TransportationCamp covered a variety of topics, ranging from “A Brief History of Atlanta Freeways” and “Bike Infrastructure Abroad” to numerous sessions on transit including “Transit Equity,” “Let’s Make Buses Sexy,” and “MARTA Army.”

Danielle Elkins began the “Let’s Advance Atlanta” section with a 5 minute pitch on the coalition to Advance Atlanta. This was followed by a group discussion on Advance Atlanta’s role and tactics to work with other transit advocates across the region. We recognize there are a lot of excellent organizations doing incredible work in this field – many were in attendance at Transportation Camp. We look forward to collaborating and sharing information with all of you.

We want to thank those who attended our session and provided valuable feedback. We have made a lot of great connections. We are excited about working with new partners and mobilizing metro Atlantans in support of a unified regional transit system.

How can you get involved with Advance Atlanta? Help us increase awareness of our cause, please invite 10 of your friends to sign-up for our newsletter at AdvanceAtlanta.com/connect

Keith Parker, GM/CEO of Marta, kicked off Transportation Camp with a speech to participants. Danielle Elkins kicking of the “Let’s Advance Atlanta” session

The following article was published in the Saporta Report on September 21, 2015.

In 1837, when the stake was driven in the Georgia ground to mark the founding of “Terminus,” the city that would become Atlanta began its life as a transportation hub. Today, the home of the world’s busiest airport still thrives as a center for transportation, but its local and regional roads are known more for traffic congestion and conduits for sprawl.

This reality impedes the ability of metro Atlanta to retain residents and companies, as well as attract new residents and businesses to our region. It makes us less productive workers, less healthy people and less happy residents.

According to the latest Metro Atlanta Speaks survey from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), transportation challenges are a top concern for metro Atlanta residents, but the region also benefits from several positive ingredients: strong workforce density; a multi-centered, cultural renaissance and our transforming – but still skeletal – MARTA transit system.

We need to build on our strengths. Citizens around the region are ready to embrace smart solutions to better connect our lives and ease our stifling congestion. Currently, the areas of the region experiencing the greatest economic growth and rise in property values are prospering due to their proximity to transit. The developments around the Sandy Springs and Dunwoody MARTA stations, including the recently announced Mercedes-Benz and State Farm headquarters, are a prime example of this trend.

Across the country, both Millennials and Baby Boomers are voicing their desire for access to transit and walkable communities, and companies are seeking to recruit and retain top-tier talent by locating their offices in the kind of walkable communities that attract young workers.

We believe that if metro Atlanta is to remain competitive into the future, we will need to provide residents with a comprehensive transit system capable of moving people efficiently through the five core counties of Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett and Clayton.

That’s why we have founded the Coalition to Advance Atlanta, a grassroots movement of advocates for a comprehensive regional transit system, capable of serving residents of the five core counties. This coalition is informed by an understanding that legislators don’t make decisions in a vacuum. The purpose of the Coalition to Advance Atlanta is to demonstrate to our legislators through organizing, grassroots advocacy, media activities and citizen-lobbying that metro Atlantans are ready for comprehensive and connected regional transit.

We can already see the region’s attitude toward transit shifting. In 2014, nearly 75 percent of the Clayton County electorate approved a referendum to expand MARTA into their community. In Gwinnett County, a Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce poll revealed 63 percent of potential voters supported the expansion of MARTA into their community and 50 percent of those polled said a one-percent county sales tax should fund the expansion. This emerging popular support needs to be managed and effectively communicated to decision-makers.

The Advance Atlanta coalition will be composed of all segments of the Atlanta region’s population. The coalition will work to harness the many, diverse voices of metro Atlantans, who want to live in a region that will not be undermined by congestion and inadequate infrastructure.

For too long, the debate surrounding comprehensive transit progress has been framed in a manner that pits us against each other. Whether young vs. old, conservative vs. liberal or urban vs. suburban, these classifications are harmful and these debates fail to illuminate the universal benefits of transit. The truth is we can no longer view ourselves as independent counties and cities when it comes to transportation and economic development. We will succeed or fail as a metro region.

To build that infrastructure, we need to develop a vision that can be translated to policy, increased funding and ultimately, timely construction. The Coalition to Advance Atlanta seeks to unite citizens’ voices in a shared vision to do just that. As 2015 comes to a close, and 2016 offers the potential of a ballot initiative for additional MARTA funding in Fulton and DeKalb counties, we will be working hard to unite supporters of regional transit and to provide a platform for those who wish to join the conversation.

The Coalition to Advance Atlanta is just getting started. We invite all metro Atlantans to join us at advanceatlanta.com.